The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (grave mercy TXT) đ
- Author: Fyodor Dostoyevsky
- Performer: 014044792X
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âYou shall have lots of money; by the evening I shall have plenty; so come along!â
âThatâs true enough, heâll have lots before evening!â put in Lebedeff.
âBut, look here, are you a great hand with the ladies? Letâs know that first?â asked Rogojin.
âOh no, oh no! said the prince; âI couldnât, you knowâmy illnessâI hardly ever saw a soul.â
âHâm! wellâhere, you fellow-you can come along with me now if you like!â cried Rogojin to Lebedeff, and so they all left the carriage.
Lebedeff had his desire. He went off with the noisy group of Rogojinâs friends towards the Voznesensky, while the princeâs route lay towards the Litaynaya. It was damp and wet. The prince asked his way of passers-by, and finding that he was a couple of miles or so from his destination, he determined to take a droshky.
II.
General Epanchin lived in his own house near the Litaynaya. Besides this large residenceâfive-sixths of which was let in flats and lodgings-the general was owner of another enormous house in the Sadovaya bringing in even more rent than the first. Besides these houses he had a delightful little estate just out of town, and some sort of factory in another part of the city. General Epanchin, as everyone knew, had a good deal to do with certain government monopolies; he was also a voice, and an important one, in many rich public companies of various descriptions; in fact, he enjoyed the reputation of being a well-to-do man of busy habits, many ties, and affluent means. He had made himself indispensable in several quarters, amongst others in his department of the government; and yet it was a known fact that Fedor Ivanovitch Epanchin was a man of no education whatever, and had absolutely risen from the ranks.
This last fact could, of course, reflect nothing but credit upon the general; and yet, though unquestionably a sagacious man, he had his own little weaknesses-very excusable ones,âone of which was a dislike to any allusion to the above circumstance. He was undoubtedly clever. For instance, he made a point of never asserting himself when he would gain more by keeping in the background; and in consequence many exalted personages valued him principally for his humility and simplicity, and because âhe knew his place.â And yet if these good people could only have had a peep into the mind of this excellent fellow who âknew his placeâ so well! The fact is that, in spite of his knowledge of the world and his really remarkable abilities, he always liked to appear to be carrying out other peopleâs ideas rather than his own. And also, his luck seldom failed him, even at cards, for which he had a passion that he did not attempt to conceal. He played for high stakes, and moved, altogether, in very varied society.
As to age, General Epanchin was in the very prime of life; that is, about fifty-five years of age,âthe flowering time of existence, when real enjoyment of life begins. His healthy appearance, good colour, sound, though discoloured teeth, sturdy figure, preoccupied air during business hours, and jolly good humour during his game at cards in the evening, all bore witness to his success in life, and combined to make existence a bed of roses to his excellency. The general was lord of a flourishing family, consisting of his wife and three grown-up daughters. He had married young, while still a lieutenant, his wife being a girl of about his own age, who possessed neither beauty nor education, and who brought him no more than fifty souls of landed property, which little estate served, however, as a nest-egg for far more important accumulations. The general never regretted his early marriage, or regarded it as a foolish youthful escapade; and he so respected and feared his wife that he was very near loving her. Mrs. Epanchin came of the princely stock of Muishkin, which if not a brilliant, was, at all events, a decidedly ancient family; and she was extremely proud of her descent.
With a few exceptions, the worthy couple had lived through their long union very happily. While still young the wife had been able to make important friends among the aristocracy, partly by virtue of her family descent, and partly by her own exertions; while, in after life, thanks to their wealth and to the position of her husband in the service, she took her place among the higher circles as by right.
During these last few years all three of the generalâs daughters-Alexandra, Adelaida, and Aglayaâhad grown up and matured. Of course they were only Epanchins, but their motherâs family was noble; they might expect considerable fortunes; their father had hopes of attaining to very high rank indeed in his countryâs service-all of which was satisfactory. All three of the girls were decidedly pretty, even the eldest, Alexandra, who was just twenty-five years old. The middle daughter was now twenty-three, while the youngest, Aglaya, was twenty. This youngest girl was absolutely a beauty, and had begun of late to attract considerable attention in society. But this was not all, for every one of the three was clever, well educated, and accomplished.
It was a matter of general knowledge that the three girls were very fond of one another, and supported each other in every way; it was even said that the two elder ones had made certain sacrifices for the sake of the idol of the household, Aglaya. In society they not only disliked asserting themselves, but were actually retiring. Certainly no one could blame them for being too arrogant or haughty, and yet everybody was well aware that they were proud and quite understood their own value. The eldest was musical, while the second was a clever artist, which fact she had concealed until lately. In a word, the world spoke well of the girls; but they were not without their enemies, and occasionally people talked with horror of the number of books they had read.
They were in no hurry to marry. They liked good society, but were not too keen about it. All this was the more remarkable, because everyone was well aware of the hopes and aims of their parents.
It was about eleven oâclock in the forenoon when the prince rang the bell at General Epanchinâs door. The general lived on the first floor or flat of the house, as modest a lodging as his position permitted. A liveried servant opened the door, and the prince was obliged to enter into long explanations with this gentleman, who, from the first glance, looked at him and his bundle with grave suspicion. At last, however, on the repeated positive assurance that he really was Prince Muishkin, and must absolutely see the general on business, the bewildered domestic showed him into a little ante-chamber leading to a waiting-room that adjoined the generalâs study, there handing him over to another servant, whose duty it was to be in this ante-chamber all the morning, and announce visitors to the general. This second individual wore a dress coat, and was some forty years of age; he was the generalâs special study servant, and well aware of his own importance.
âWait in the next room, please; and leave your bundle here,â said the door-keeper, as he sat down comfortably in his own easy-chair in the ante-chamber. He looked at the prince in severe surprise as the latter settled himself in another chair alongside, with his bundle on his knees.
âIf you donât mind, I would rather sit here with you,â said the prince; âI should prefer it to sitting in there.â
âOh, but you canât stay here. You are a visitorâa guest, so to speak. Is it the general himself you wish to see?â
The man evidently could not take in the idea of such a shabby-looking visitor, and had decided to ask once more.
âYesâI have businessââ began the prince.
âI do not ask you what your business may be, all I have to do is to announce you; and unless the secretary comes in here I cannot do that.â
The manâs suspicions seemed to increase more and more. The prince was too unlike the usual run of daily visitors; and although the general certainly did receive, on business, all sorts and conditions of men, yet in spite of this fact the servant felt great doubts on the subject of this particular visitor. The presence of the secretary as an intermediary was, he judged, essential in this case.
âSurely youâare from abroad?â he inquired at last, in a confused sort of way. He had begun his sentence intending to say, âSurely you are not Prince Muishkin, are you?â
âYes, straight from the train! Did not you intend to say, âSurely you are not Prince Muishkin?â just now, but refrained out of politeness ?â
âHâm!â grunted the astonished servant.
âI assure you I am not deceiving you; you shall not have to answer for me. As to my being dressed like this, and carrying a bundle, thereâs nothing surprising in thatâthe fact is, my circumstances are not particularly rosy at this moment.â
âHâm!âno, Iâm not afraid of that, you see; I have to announce you, thatâs all. The secretary will be out directly-that is, unless youâyes, thatâs the rubâunless youâcome, you must allow me to ask youâyouâve not come to beg, have you?â
âOh dear no, you can be perfectly easy on that score. I have quite another matter on hand.â
âYou must excuse my asking, you know. Your appearance led me to thinkâbut just wait for the secretary; the general is busy now, but the secretary is sure to come out.â
âOhâwell, look here, if I have some time to wait, would you mind telling me, is there any place about where I could have a smoke? I have my pipe and tobacco with me.â
âSMOKE?â said the man, in shocked but disdainful surprise, blinking his eyes at the prince as though he could not believe his senses.â No, sir, you cannot smoke here, and I wonder you are not ashamed of the very suggestion. Ha, ha! a cool idea that, I declare!â
âOh, I didnât mean in this room! I know I canât smoke here, of course. Iâd adjourn to some other room, wherever you like to show me to. You see, Iâm used to smoking a good deal, and now I havenât had a puff for three hours; however, just as you like.â
âNow how on earth am I to announce a man like that?â muttered the servant. âIn the first place, youâve no right in here at all; you ought to be in the waiting-room, because youâre a sort of visitorâa guest, in factâand I shall catch it for this. Look here, do you intend to take up you abode with us?â he added, glancing once more at the princeâs bundle, which evidently gave him no peace.
âNo, I donât think so. I donât think I should stay even if they were to invite me. Iâve simply come to make their acquaintance, and nothing more.â
âMake their acquaintance?â asked the man, in amazement, and with redoubled suspicion. âThen why did you say you had business with the general?â
âOh well, very little business. There is one little matterâsome advice I am going to ask him for; but my principal object is simply to introduce myself, because I am
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